dckathleen's reviews
214 reviews

Cave of Bones: A True Story of Discovery, Adventure, and Human Origins by John Hawks, Lee Berger

adventurous challenging informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

Nonfiction book about the discovery of a cave in South Africa containing evidence of a new hominin species, Homo Naledi, which is not a human ancestor and which did things which we have previously only ascribed to humans. They buried their dead, made cave art, and could bring fire with them. They lived alongside our human ancestors. This is told in an engaging way, including descriptions of the terrifying process of getting in and out of the extremely narrow cave entrance. It's an interesting look at discovering Homo Naledi and our own perspective on what it is to be human. 

The Changeling by Victor LaValle

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

So many CW: child death, abuse, domestic violence. 

I did finish it, but found it to be too long and kind of frustrating. There were too many weird elements. I get whet the overall goal was, but it felt disjointed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Gore, and Child death

All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Witches, magic, intrigue, a Kelpie, carni orous mermaids, a traveling circus, murder, a multigenerational pact, a terrible cousin out for ...marriage, a deceitful uncle out for...maybe also marriage? This book has all that and more! 

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The Donner party with a supernatural twist. This was good, and even though we know generally that it ends poorly, it's still suspenseful. 

The Mother by B.L. Blanchard

adventurous challenging reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was an excellent read. It's about what England might be like had it not benefitted from the spoils of colonialism. It's a small, impoverished nation with few natural resources and it has extreme restrictive laws regarding women. A noble born woman is trapped in a terrible marriage, she has no access to the outside world and knows that she is in danger. She attempts to flee her marital home for what she hopes will be a better life in a safer place. 

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor

informative inspiring fast-paced

4.0

This is a really interesting book with lots of research about the benefits of breathing correctly, and the detriments of mouth breathing and breathing less optimally. There were also several extreme breathing techniques which were discussed which could provide help for some people. 

There were a few instances of talking about animal experiments. I listened to the audiobook and the author gave warning, so I skipped that. 

This is interesting and a valuable reflection on something we do thousands of times per day. I liked learning about the similarities in breathing techniques (aka meditation and prayer) across unrelated cultures around the world. There are some breathing exercises at the end of the book 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty

True Biz by Sara Nović

adventurous informative inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is the story of a group of families and a school for the deaf. The author is deaf and I loved getting lots of lessons about deaf culture, ASL, and deaf history in between chapters about the main cast of characters. The main story is great, and because I liked the book so much I decided to overlook my slight annoyance at the ending...I wanted more! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Child abuse

Reykjavík: A Crime Story by Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Ragnar Jónasson

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A teenager goes missing in 1956. We revisit the story over time as it captivates Iceland and haunts the lead investigator. In 1986 a young reporter picks up the story and starts to make progress...until something terrible happens. This is a good mystery with some icelandic history and a good twist or two. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Domestic abuse

How Iceland Changed the World: The Big History of a Small Island by Egill Bjarnason

informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.5

I also read this before our Iceland trip and thought of it frequently while I was there. It gives a good overview of the various times and ways that Iceland has played a role in would events. I listened on audio and the reader was great. This book covers a lot of ground in a very entertaining style. I'd recommend this whether you're going to Iceland or not. 

Square³ by Mira Grant

2.5

I loved Mira Grant's murderous mermaids so much and was hoping for something similar. This isn't it. Unexplained things happened to move the story forward.